Stillingstittel:
Postdoctoral fellow in the research project Saving Oseberg (2016/7032)

Stillingsbeskrivelse:
The University of Oslo is Norway’s largest institution of research and education with 28 000 students and 7000 employees. Its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally esteemed research communities make UiO an important contributor to society.

The Museum of Cultural History (KHM) invites applications for a postdoctoral fellow in the research project Saving Oseberg.

The project period is 3 years and starting date is at the latest January 1^st 2017.

The museum houses the extensive and highly valued Oseberg collection which represents one of the most comprehensive collections of Viking Age wooden objects in the world. Many of these wooden artefacts are severely threatened by a slow but on-going deterioration process caused by a conservation treatment (alum treatment) applied one hundred years ago. In addition, the artefacts are restored to such a degree, that undoing or removing these would irreversibly damage the artefacts. In order to develop a preservation strategy for these highly complex and degraded artefacts, the museum launched the research project Saving Oseberg phase I. Saving Oseberg phase I end December 31st 2016. Saving Oseberg requires a continuation to develop successful preservation strategies. In the second phase of Saving Oseberg, the activities will be organized in two research groups. The first group will apply and compare different impregnation methods, addressing the three main problems: high acidity, presence of harmful metal ions and consolidation of the fragile wood. This work will include the development of a testing protocol, chemical analyses before- and after-treatment and studies of behaviour of the impregnation agents in the highly degraded archaeological wood. The second group will work with chemical variation and improvement of the materials for consolidation, neutralization and inactivation of metal ions. Attempts will be continued to develop a multi-functional, bio-inspired material which is chemically functionalized in a way that all three tasks can be fulfilled by one material. The two groups will work in close cooperation with each other, with relevant projects associated with the development of new museum facilities for the Oseberg collection and not least in a national and international network of research institutions.

Postdoctoral fellow (SKO 1352) in chemistry, in polymer synthesis and functionalization of bio-inspired polymers for the preservation of archaeological wood

Briefly summarized, Saving Oseberg is aiming to use bio-polymers, preferably wood components or their derivatives (‘Green Chemistry’), to functionalize basic molecules in a way that they form a network that consolidates the wood, control pH and trap metal ions and thereby stabilising the object and to form an open structure inside the object, leaving structural space for future re-treatment, if necessary. This involves hybrid/composite materials of bio-polymers and inorganics; for example, the cross-linking of lignin-like materials with silanes to develop stronger materials, or silanes as a cross-linker for lignin to calcium hydroxide nanoparticles. For Phase II it is proposed that the development of materials for both consolidation and neutralization will be combined as the projects are interconnected. Although the Saving Oseberg project members will have close collaboration, this position will be working most closely with positions 1 and 3.

Requirements

• The candidate must hold a PhD in chemistry
• Expertise in polymer synthesis and functionalisation.
• Ability to design and execute practical experiments.

Preferred qualifications

• Candidates with experience in working with cultural heritage materials, especially wood will be preferred.
• Experience from interdisciplinary projects preferably in cultural heritage is an adva
  
  Minstelønn: 0
  
  Maksimal lønn: 0
  
  Arbeidsgiver Navn: Universitetet i Oslo, Museum of Cultural
  
  Arbeidsgiver adresse: 0130 OSLO
  
  Job kort beskrivelse: Chemists
  
  Land: Norge
  
  Region: Oslo
  
  Kilde til jobbtilbud: NAV, Offentlige arbeidsformidlinger, Norge
  
  Hvordan søke: Annet - se fritekst
  
  Lønn valuta: NOK
  
  Lønn periode: Pr. år
  
  
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